1. Third Party Administrators or TPA means any person who is licensed under the IRDAI (Third Party Administrators – Health Services) Regulations, 2001 by the Authority, and is engaged, for a fee or remuneration by an insurance company, for the purposes of providing health services.
2. Health Insurance relates to a type of insurance that essentially covers your medical expenses. A health insurance policy like other policies is a contract between an insurer and an individual / group in which the insurer agrees to provide specified health insurance cover at a particular “premium” subject to terms and conditions specified in the policy
3. Coverage under Health Insurance policy A Health Insurance Policy would normally cover expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred under the following heads in respect of each insured person subject to overall ceiling of sum insured (for all claims during one policy period).
• Room, Boarding expenses
• Nursing expenses
• Fees of surgeon, anesthetist, physician, consultants, specialists and like nature
• Anesthesia, blood, oxygen, operation theatre charges, surgical appliances, medicines, drugs, diagnostic materials, X-ray, Dialysis, chemotherapy, Radio therapy, cost of pace maker, Artificial limbs, cost or organs and similar expenses.
4. Sum Insured The Sum Insured offered may be on an individual basis or on floater basis for the family as a whole. After a claim is filed and settled, the sum insured is reduced by the amount that has been paid out on settlement.
5. Family Floater is one single policy that takes care of the hospitalization expenses of your entire family. The policy has one single sum insured, which can be utilised by any/all insured persons in any proportion or amount subject to maximum of overall limit of the policy sum insured.
6. Minimum period of stay in Hospital In order to become eligible to make a claim under the policy, minimum stay in the Hospital is necessary for a certain number of hours. Usually this is 24 hours. This time limit may not apply for treatment of accidental injuries and for certain specified treatments. Read the policy provision to understand the details.
7. Room Rent: Room Rent means the amount charged by a Hospital towards Room and Boarding expenses and shall include the associated medical expenses.
8. Network Provider means hospitals or health care providers enlisted by an insurer or by a TPA and insurer together to provide medical services to an insured on payment by a cashless facility.
9. Cashless Facility Insurance companies have tie-up arrangements with a network of hospitals in the country. If policyholder takes treatment in any of the network hospitals, there is no need for the insured person to pay hospital bills. The Insurance Company, through its Third Party Administrator (TPA) will arrange direct payment to the Hospital. Expenses beyond sub limits prescribed by the policy or items not covered under the policy have to be settled by the insured direct to the Hospital. The insured can take treatment in a non-listed hospital in which case he has to pay the bills first and then seek reimbursement from Insurance Co. There will be no cashless facility applicable here.
10. Hospitalization: Hospitalization means admission in a Hospital for a minimum period of 24 consecutive ‘In-patient Care’ hours except for specified procedures/ treatments, where such admission could be for a period of less than 24 consecutive hours.
11. Pre and post hospitalization expenses: Expenses incurred during a certain number of days prior to hospitalization and post hospitalization expenses for a specified period from the date of discharge may be considered as part of the claim provided the expenses relate to the disease / sickness. Go through the specific provision in this regard.
12. Domiciliary Hospitalisation: Domiciliary Hospitalization means medical treatment for an Illness/Injury which in the normal course would require care and treatment at a Hospital but is actually taken while confined at home under any of the following circumstances: -
    • The condition of the patient is such that he/she is not in a condition to be moved to a Hospital, or
    • The patient takes treatment at home on account of non-availability of room in a Hospital.
13. Exclusions: The actual exclusions may vary from product to product and company to company. You need to refer Policy terms & conditions annexed to your respective policy. In group policies, it may be possible to waive / delete the exclusions on payment of extra premium.
14. Disclosure to information norm: The policy shall be void and all premiums paid thereon shall be forfeited to the Company in the event of misrepresentation, mis-description or non-disclosure of any material fact.
15. 30 Days Waiting Period for claims When you get a new policy, generally, there will be a 30 days waiting period starting from the policy inception date, during which period any hospitalization charges will not be payable by the insurance companies. However, this is not applicable to any emergency hospitalization occurring due to an accident. This waiting period will not be applicable for subsequent policies under renewal.
16. Pre-existing condition: Pre-Existing Disease means any condition, ailment or injury or related condition(s) for which there were signs or symptoms, and / or were diagnosed, and / or for which medical advice / treatment was received within 48 months prior to the first policy issued by the insurer and renewed continuously thereafter.
17. Co-Payment A co-payment is a cost-sharing requirement under a health insurance policy that provides that the insured will bear a specified percentage of the admissible claim amount. A co-payment does not reduce the sum insured.
18. Deductible: A deductible is a cost-sharing requirement under a health insurance policy that provides that the Insurer will not be liable for a specified rupee amount of the covered expenses, which will apply before any benefits are payable by the insurer. A deductible does not reduce the sum insured.
19. Reasonable and Customary Charges: Reasonable and Customary charges means the charges for services or supplies, which are the standard charges for the specific provider and consistent with the prevailing charges in the geographical area for identical or similar services, taking into account the nature of the illness / injury involved.
20. Additional Benefits and other stand alone policies Insurance companies offer various other benefits as “Add-ons” or riders. There are also stand alone policies that are designed to give benefits like “Hospital Cash”, “Critical Illness Benefits”, “Surgical Expense Benefits” etc. These policies can either be taken separately or in addition to the hospitalization policy. A few companies have come out with products in the nature of Top Up policies to meet the actual expenses over and above the limit available in the basic health policy.

Disclaimer :

• This is intended to provide you general information only and is not exhaustive.
• These standard terms and conditions are defined by IRDAI and is updated from time to time on their website.
• Please note that these terms and conditions may not be applicable for any customized or tailor-made policies. For this, please to refer to your policy document.